June 17 - June 24, 2018
Much of interest this week:
FEATURED ARTICLES
8 Washington, DC High Schools Drop AP Courses Inside Higher Ed
"In a joint statement, they said that they were responding to the 'diminished utility of AP courses and the desirability of developing our own advanced courses that more effectively address our students' needs and interests. Collectively, we believe a curriculum oriented toward collaborative, experiential, and interdisciplinary learning will not only better prepare our students for college and their professional futures, but also result in more engaging programs for both students and faculty. We expect this approach will appeal to students' innate curiosity, increate their motivation, and fuel their love of learning."
Vermont Expands Work/Farm-Based Credit For High School Hechinger Report
"Vermont's experiment in experiential learning goes back a number of years, but it took off in 2013, when the legislature passed a law that lets students meet state graduation standards through work-based experiences."
Several articles on audiobooks and the state of reading today. A feature piece on a group of schools that are dropping AP courses. A pair of talks from a recent symposium on math curriculum. And more!
Also, following last week's SNHU blockchain credentials announcement, this week includes a selection of articles about blockchain -- what it is, how it works, and whether/how it can provide value.
Enjoy!
Peter
Also, following last week's SNHU blockchain credentials announcement, this week includes a selection of articles about blockchain -- what it is, how it works, and whether/how it can provide value.
Enjoy!
Peter
FEATURED ARTICLES
8 Washington, DC High Schools Drop AP Courses Inside Higher Ed
"In a joint statement, they said that they were responding to the 'diminished utility of AP courses and the desirability of developing our own advanced courses that more effectively address our students' needs and interests. Collectively, we believe a curriculum oriented toward collaborative, experiential, and interdisciplinary learning will not only better prepare our students for college and their professional futures, but also result in more engaging programs for both students and faculty. We expect this approach will appeal to students' innate curiosity, increate their motivation, and fuel their love of learning."
Vermont Expands Work/Farm-Based Credit For High School Hechinger Report
"Vermont's experiment in experiential learning goes back a number of years, but it took off in 2013, when the legislature passed a law that lets students meet state graduation standards through work-based experiences."
CHARACTER
Are Trolley Problems Not Really Useful? What If They Were Real... Slate
"Bostyn wonders if people who are presented with standard trolley hypotheticals give biased answers because they're worried about their reputations. They might think that if they told the experimenter they'd flip the switch or push the stranger off the bridge, it would make them seem cold and calculating. To avoid that outcome, they tilt their responses in the opposite direction. But when they're confronted with a real-life version of the same dilemma, and one with real-life stakes, they might ignore that social anxiety and enact their truer, more utilitarian moral judgment."
In Praise Of Boredom, Isolation, And Silence -- Via Blaise Pascal Quartz
Don't Find Your Passion, Develop It Stanford
CREATIVITY
Is Cultural Awareness The Key To Creativity And Success In A Field? LinkedIn
"In my research, no matter whether I was interviewing a painter, a chef, or a songwriter, I'd eventually hear some variation of the same story. Painters show up at numerous art exhibits. Chefs eat at cutting-edge restaurants, visit farms, and travel to food shows. Songwriters are constantly listening to music, new and old."
The Research And Development Team That Apple Shuttered Fast Company
DIVERSITY/INCLUSION
Five Books On Free Speech On Campus New York Review Of Books
"They all say generously that we ought to listen to the students, especially when the students seem to be looking out for each others, and we should not simply assume that they are opposed to freedom."
"U.S. Open Will Revamp Its Seeding To Account For Pregnancy Leaves" New York Times
HUMANITIES
"Improving The Way We Teach About Slavery" Cult of Pedagogy
Frankenstein: Tributes To The Science, Ethics & Creativity Of The Novel Brain Pickings
LANGUAGE
Practicing Speaking A 2nd Language Makes You Better At Understanding It Univ. of W-M
LEADERSHIP
"Teacher Expertise Increases Students' College Success" eSchool News
"Through an analysis of a longitudinal data set collected from more than 6,000 students and their teachers nationwide, Lee found that students who were taught by a succession of teachers who majored or minored in mathematics had better success in short-term math achievement. In the long term, the students also were more likely to graduate from college."
"The Rise Of Learning Culture" Spencer Stuart
On Using Creativity And Analytics Together For Better Organizations McKinsey
READING/WRITING
Audiobook Sales Were Up 22% In 2017 Publishing Perspectives
Audiobooks Provoke More Emotion Than Movies, Apparently Guardian
On Why You Should Own More Books Than You Read Medium
Why We Read Less: A Longitudinal View New Yorker
Strunk & White At 100: Against "Elements Of Style" Chronicle of Higher Ed
STEM
"What Mathematics Do People Really Need?" [Lecture/Talk] Center for Curriculum Redesign
"Content matters. But the main focus should be on the way of thinking."
"What Algorithmic Ideas Should Be Taught To School Children?" Center for Curric. Redesign
"Perhaps, none... [but] if we do want algorithms, a wide spectrum of approaches is possible: ... unplugged: algorithms with no programming, no computers... integrated: algorithms fully integrated with programming and maths."
A History Of The Word "Data" IdaLab
TECH
A Visual Guide To Explain Blockchain Reuters
An Analysis Of Whether Blockchain Can Add Meaningful Value McKinsey
For The Purpose Of Memory, VR Aids Recall University of Maryland
OTHER
Educators Shouldn't Just Do What The Research Says Larry Cuban
"Research should inform education policy and practice, but it shouldn't dictate it. Common sense, practical experience, personal relationships, and old fashioned wisdom have a crucial role to play in determining when and how research can be usefully applied. The researchers who play the most constructive roles are those who understand and embrace that messy truth."
Atul Gawande's Family Story, And The Next Stage Of His Career Quartz
Are Trolley Problems Not Really Useful? What If They Were Real... Slate
"Bostyn wonders if people who are presented with standard trolley hypotheticals give biased answers because they're worried about their reputations. They might think that if they told the experimenter they'd flip the switch or push the stranger off the bridge, it would make them seem cold and calculating. To avoid that outcome, they tilt their responses in the opposite direction. But when they're confronted with a real-life version of the same dilemma, and one with real-life stakes, they might ignore that social anxiety and enact their truer, more utilitarian moral judgment."
In Praise Of Boredom, Isolation, And Silence -- Via Blaise Pascal Quartz
Don't Find Your Passion, Develop It Stanford
Is Cultural Awareness The Key To Creativity And Success In A Field? LinkedIn
"In my research, no matter whether I was interviewing a painter, a chef, or a songwriter, I'd eventually hear some variation of the same story. Painters show up at numerous art exhibits. Chefs eat at cutting-edge restaurants, visit farms, and travel to food shows. Songwriters are constantly listening to music, new and old."
The Research And Development Team That Apple Shuttered Fast Company
DIVERSITY/INCLUSION
Five Books On Free Speech On Campus New York Review Of Books
"They all say generously that we ought to listen to the students, especially when the students seem to be looking out for each others, and we should not simply assume that they are opposed to freedom."
"U.S. Open Will Revamp Its Seeding To Account For Pregnancy Leaves" New York Times
HUMANITIES
"Improving The Way We Teach About Slavery" Cult of Pedagogy
Frankenstein: Tributes To The Science, Ethics & Creativity Of The Novel Brain Pickings
LANGUAGE
Practicing Speaking A 2nd Language Makes You Better At Understanding It Univ. of W-M
LEADERSHIP
"Teacher Expertise Increases Students' College Success" eSchool News
"Through an analysis of a longitudinal data set collected from more than 6,000 students and their teachers nationwide, Lee found that students who were taught by a succession of teachers who majored or minored in mathematics had better success in short-term math achievement. In the long term, the students also were more likely to graduate from college."
"The Rise Of Learning Culture" Spencer Stuart
On Using Creativity And Analytics Together For Better Organizations McKinsey
READING/WRITING
Audiobook Sales Were Up 22% In 2017 Publishing Perspectives
Audiobooks Provoke More Emotion Than Movies, Apparently Guardian
On Why You Should Own More Books Than You Read Medium
Why We Read Less: A Longitudinal View New Yorker
Strunk & White At 100: Against "Elements Of Style" Chronicle of Higher Ed
STEM
"What Mathematics Do People Really Need?" [Lecture/Talk] Center for Curriculum Redesign
"Content matters. But the main focus should be on the way of thinking."
"What Algorithmic Ideas Should Be Taught To School Children?" Center for Curric. Redesign
"Perhaps, none... [but] if we do want algorithms, a wide spectrum of approaches is possible: ... unplugged: algorithms with no programming, no computers... integrated: algorithms fully integrated with programming and maths."
A History Of The Word "Data" IdaLab
TECH
A Visual Guide To Explain Blockchain Reuters
An Analysis Of Whether Blockchain Can Add Meaningful Value McKinsey
For The Purpose Of Memory, VR Aids Recall University of Maryland
OTHER
Educators Shouldn't Just Do What The Research Says Larry Cuban
"Research should inform education policy and practice, but it shouldn't dictate it. Common sense, practical experience, personal relationships, and old fashioned wisdom have a crucial role to play in determining when and how research can be usefully applied. The researchers who play the most constructive roles are those who understand and embrace that messy truth."
Atul Gawande's Family Story, And The Next Stage Of His Career Quartz